Duster floor (the whole thing!) for free. There was a reason....

-

Brewtus

Old washed-up Streetracer
Joined
Aug 18, 2011
Messages
33
Reaction score
1
Location
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Just picked up a '72 Duster last month to replace the one I had sold 23 years ago. The seller was nice enough to throw in a complete floor from a donor car to replace the rusted floor in mine-

Dusterpics060.jpg


Dusterpics057.jpg




At first glance, it was a pretty good donor-

Dusterpics042.jpg




Then I looked closer. :sad5:

Dusterpics067.jpg




This is the tranny hump right below where the front seat is located....

Dusterpics066.jpg


Dusterpics068.jpg




SERIOUS whack that donor car took!! The floor is now a better parallelogram than a usable donor. disgust No wonder it was included.


Time to call AMD..... :thumbup:
 
I have a floor from a duster complete, less than an AMD piece... Shipping is reasonable if there is a greyhound terminal close.
 
To me it just looks like a sloppy factory stamping job. Look at the bottom corners of your dashboard, they are just as wrinkled up from the stamping process. It isnt the most attractive thing to look at, but you will never see it once the carpet is in the car and the transmission is installed. If it were mine, I would use it. Just my .02 cents worth.
 
To me it just looks like a sloppy factory stamping job. Look at the bottom corners of your dashboard, they are just as wrinkled up from the stamping process. It isnt the most attractive thing to look at, but you will never see it once the carpet is in the car and the transmission is installed. If it were mine, I would use it. Just my .02 cents worth.
X2. I'd be glad to weld in a floor that solid. Mine is pretty thin in places, but I'm too cheap to buy panels so I'm going to attempt to weld all the thin spots and holes back closed.
 
To me it just looks like a sloppy factory stamping job. Look at the bottom corners of your dashboard, they are just as wrinkled up from the stamping process. It isnt the most attractive thing to look at, but you will never see it once the carpet is in the car and the transmission is installed. If it were mine, I would use it. Just my .02 cents worth.

I tend to agree but I am not with the part. The question is, why is it only damaged in the crimped area? I don't see any other buckels at all. I have never seen something that much out of shape without the paint popping loose. Looking at the upside down picture it doesn't show any bends.
 
Stress crack would be my guess,but from what? Weld the cracks up after installing,and dont forget to drill holes in the crack ends.

Heck I'd use that floor. You'll find out quick enough if it is seriously out when you lay it down.And either way the old floor is coming out right? So why not give this one a try before spending money?
 
Don't overlook the "liped over" crack where the wrinkle is.

There was also the butchered job done on the rocker panel replacement done at one point in time...

Dusterpics047.jpg


Dusterpics046.jpg


I dunno fellas. Fairly wrinkly and cracked, butcher job done on the driver's side. rust beginning in a couple of places. AMD replacement floor panels are what, a whopping $175 per side? Without having to drill out spot welds/remove panels twice? Methinks that is time (which is money, no question) well spent. Opinions, points and counterpoints encouraged! :D
 
I agree with what the other guy's are saying, I don't believe it's wrinkled from an accident...... there would be obvious other sign's of metal distortion IMO. Just my 2 cent's worth!!
 
Don't overlook the "liped over" crack where the wrinkle is.

There was also the butchered job done on the rocker panel replacement done at one point in time...

Dusterpics047.jpg


Dusterpics046.jpg


I dunno fellas. Fairly wrinkly and cracked, butcher job done on the driver's side. rust beginning in a couple of places. AMD replacement floor panels are what, a whopping $175 per side? Without having to drill out spot welds/remove panels twice? Methinks that is time (which is money, no question) well spent. Opinions, points and counterpoints encouraged! :D

This is why I said " I tend to agree but I am not with the part." There is still a lot of peices that are useable as patch pannels. Can you take some pictures a litte further away then the last ones?
 
Yeah, as soon as it stops raining. :angryfir:

The pics do suck, I'll admit. Why I'm an engineering technician and not a photographer. :D
 
I would say that the damage in those last couple of photos was from whoever removed the floor to begin with. They started chisleing and realized they had a sawsall lol. You are right, its alot of spot welds to deal with. I guess it all depends on how FAT your wallet is.
 
Rain did not last long. I tried my best to send it eastward towards OK and TX.

Hokay, more bad pics. The rocker replacement from the bottom-

Dusterpics069.jpg


Dusterpics070.jpg


Dusterpics071.jpg




And from the top. Shown on the driver's side, about where the front floorpan is-

Dusterpics074.jpg


Dusterpics075.jpg




A bit further down, front seat area driver's side-

Dusterpics076.jpg




Upper corner, where the A-pillar joins the floor driver's side-

Dusterpics077.jpg




Same shot, different angle-

Dusterpics081.jpg




A pic of the passenger side, for reference. My '75 Class C RV in the background (love 'dem Mopars!!)

Dusterpics080.jpg


Dusterpics079.jpg




And a final shot of the surface rust starting on the driver's side rear footwell. Not bad IMHO.

Dusterpics083.jpg




Another shot of the crack in the tranny hump. The PO did tell me that the donor car was hit hard (hence the reason it became a donor), so the damage really came as no surprise.

Dusterpics072.jpg




There you have it. The floor in all of it's wrinkled butchered glory, captured in my poor, poor pics. I am still leaning towards the AMD panels due to outright laziness, but may go with the donor floor due to my outright cheapness. Or the option kindly offered by Crackedback so I can save a bit of $$$ and concentrate on getting a drivetrain in this old beast soon. What'cha think??? :dontknow:
 
There should be no crack in the pan in that area.

The wrinkle are normal from the forming process and changing radius in the tunnel area.

74DusterBars010.jpg


73DusterJC030.jpg


73DusterJC031.jpg
 
Well to chime in here. I bought a pan from Rob (Crackedback) got one helluva deal. Shipping was very reasonable. One thing to point out its nobody will know its a donor pan vs AMD once its painted and primed. They both go in the same.
 
I would go the Crackedback route personally.
He has a good reputation on here, and then sell the damaged one you have in pieces for patches to another member who only needs patches for their car.
You could come out pretty even if you do it right and put in some work and are patient.
You gotta love the dancing chick in his posts!
Just my 2 cents,
Tom.
 
I gotta admit, the dancing chick in his posts are the main reason that I'm leaning toward his offer. That, and the floor he has is nicer than the one I have and less expensive than the AMD panels.



Nah, it's the dancing chick. :D
 
So what did you decide to do about the floor?

I had just about decided to use parts of the floor I have until I dragged it out and sat it beside the Duster. The rear seat pans are rotten just as bad as the front seats are, and the PO did not cut out enough floor out of the donor. He had cut it on the seam on the bottom of the rear seat well, and the car's floor is rotten beyond that. No-go for the donor floor.

My body guy keeps pushing for the AMD option, and since he will most likely be doing the dirty work (thank GAWD!) I'll probably go that route. I'm really hoping to get it done by the first of the year so I can move forward with the rest of the car. Torque boxes and subframe connectors are already on the way so the time is coming. Several other projects usually take up Duster time, so we'll see. :-(
 
I am about to purchase a 68 fastback 383 formula S car, where a previous owner had cut out the entire flloor pan. If you buy a complete floor section from AMD, how do you get it into the car to start welding it? It looks too big to fit in through the side door and window openings.
 
If that would fit a 62 a body I'd be interested, I need the whole floor except the hump its self.
 
If that would fit a 62 a body I'd be interested, I need the whole floor except the hump its self. My whole floor looks like this!
 

Attachments

  • 061.jpg
    119.9 KB · Views: 272
-
Back
Top